In a crowded fashion market, it’s not easy to get your name known but Boohoo managed it with relative ease. Appearing on the scene in 2006, its rise to the top has been meteoric and it’s now one of the most popular fashion brands in the UK. But what do you know about the company behind the quirky name? Here are some fascinating facts you never knew about Boohoo.
1. The company is built on an unlikely partnership
Despite the many millions of pounds that Boohoo now turns over, the company wasn’t set up by wealthy billionaires. Mahmud Kamani is the son of a Kenyan immigrant who started out selling handbags on a market stall. The other half of the partnership, Carol Kane, describes herself as coming from a working class background and as being a “proper northern lass”. Despite these modest beginnings, both Kane and Kamani are now millionaires, thanks to the success of Boohoo.
2. Boohoo founders used to produce Primark and Asos clothing
Although Kane and Kamani may seem an unusual pairing, they worked with each other extensively at Pinstripe Clothing, the company belonging to Kamani’s father. Their goal was to create a fashion brand that would deliver items which captured attention as well as being affordable.
3. They have a modern strategy of online operation
One of the reasons that Boohoo has been such a success is that, like Amazon, they don’t have the overheads of a physical location. By selling entirely online, Boohoo has created a strong brand image while keeping running costs low.
4. More than 300 new items are produced every day
Unlike some other fashion brands, Boohoo doesn’t have fixed ideas in advance about the collection of clothing it will release. Instead, it relies on a very fast turnover of products, testing tens of new items with customers every day.
5. Some items are sold in very limited collections
Boohoo only reproduce items which prove to be a top-selling line. For the tester batches, only small quantities are produced meaning only a few tens will be made of some items, not hundreds or thousands.
6. They can release a new line in less than two weeks
Although it typically takes 4-6 weeks to release a new line, Boohoo can have a new item of clothing on the shelves in under two weeks.
7. They have flourished during the COVID lockdown
Although many retailers have struggled in 2020 due to COVID-19, Boohoo has flourished due to their online-only method of sales.
8. Boohoo is boosted by student ambassadors
In 2016, Boohoo launched a student ambassador programme. Initially comprising of 15 students, there are now more than 200 student ambassadors in the UK and Ireland with more than 400 in Australia and the US. Combined, the student ambassadors have more than four million Instagram followers, helping Boohoo to reach their target audience more effectively.
9. Student ambassadors get lots of freebies
The job of a student ambassador is to promote the brand on campus and in return they will receive discounts on clothing, plus complimentary trips and events.
10. Almost half of their clothing is made in the UK
Boohoo are renowned for their fast turnaround and high-fashion designs but the secret of their success is that 40% of their clothing is made at home in the UK.
